


fist fighting with fire

by beatswords



Category: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 13:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9073873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatswords/pseuds/beatswords
Summary: Ronny Robinson and Will Aston, two egomaniacs, enter a friends-with-benefits relationship and finally find the one thing they're bad at.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For the Ronny Robinson lovefest on Tumblr. It's been awhile since I've written prose, so excuse any tense confusions. Also, excuse typos.

_and babe, I'm fist fighting with fire_  
_just to get close to you_  
_and i'll run for miles, just to get a taste_  


Being pulled from your everyday life and told you were selected to save the entire world isn’t a normal occurrence in the slightest, but Ronny Robinson had always risen to any challenge. Her manager had been pressing her to take on some sort of charity, to appease her fans who constantly write fan letters about how she’s helped them become more confident or dream bigger. It was a win-win situation.

Still, Ronny wasn’t sure how her manager (or fans) would react to news of her sleeping with a fellow ranger the first night on the job.

It all started with an impromptu diner meetup to discuss their new roles.

“Show of hands, who is wondering if they’re gonna wake up tomorrow and today was a dream?” Dax asks, setting his already half-empty milkshake down.

The entire table’s hands shoot in the air. “Honestly, I can’t wait to get home and research more about this,” Rose exclaims, dipping a fry into ketchup. “These myths are centuries old. None of this should be real or scientifically possible.”

“If I hadn’t seen, and fought, those… _things_ myself, I’d still think it wasn’t real,” Will replies pointedly. He stretches and slings an arm across the headboard of the booth, right behind Ronny’s head.

She smirks. “I’m pretty sure that was all me out there, no offense.” And with a swift move, she removes his arm from around her.

Will rolls his eyes, before sitting up and resting his arms on the table. “Whatever, this guy is obviously a nutjob. How much do you think he’s paying us for this?”

“This isn’t about money, this is about saving the world,” Dax countered.

Will squints. “What’s your day job again? Acting?”

“I’m a stuntman actually.” Dax replied confidently.

“It’s getting late, I should get home,” Rose interjected before Will could comment on Dax’s profession. “I’m sure I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” She suggested. None of them knew what the days would bring now that they were power rangers. She pulled out some freshly printed dollars, presumably covering her order, before climbing out of the booth.

“I should head out too, if we’re gonna be fighting monsters, I need to figure out some financial things.” Dax mused, before placing down his half of the bill and scooting out of the booth after Rose.

Will turned to Ronny, the two of them alone in the booth. “What? No one you gotta call too?”

“I answer to no one. It comes with being the best.” Ronny answered smoothly, giving him a pretentious wink.

For some reason that makes Will let out a chuckle, to which Ronny takes her turn in eye rolling. “So then the night is young? Where to next?”

Ronny smiled, an idea sprouting in her head.

 

 

There was an arcade that stayed open later than normal downtown that Ronny hadn’t been to in years. Going pro was such a blow to a person’s social life, but it’s just one of the many of the sacrifices that come with achieving your dreams.

Plus, she’s still got it.

“Triple score!” Ronny yelled victoriously, standing up from the stationery toy car.

Will threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, clearly you’ve got this game rigged. There’s no way you beat me.”

It had been a day, but Will Aston already proved to be a kindred spirit to Ronny. He, too, didn’t care to be confident in himself. She thought back to that moment in the mansion when he told Andrew he worked better alone, and left. Just like that.

Sure, he had every right to be suspicious of everything Andrew was saying. Ronny had been having trouble believing it too. Power rangers were silly comic book characters that children dressed up as for Halloween. They weren’t real, and even if they were, there was no way the invitation to becoming one involved being invited to a stranger’s mansion to help him go on some wild goose chase.

“Sorry, but I never lose, and I’m not gonna start now just to protect your ego.” Ronny replied, circling around Will like a vulture, before giving his shoulder a sympathetic pat and standing in front of him. Her hands met her hips and she flashed a smile at him.

Will glanced down, which made her realize how close they were standing. She resisted the urge to take a step back, for fear he’d mistake it as her conceding to him.

For whatever reason, he held back his comment and instead met her eyes once more. He nodded slowly, as though he finally had her figured out. “I’m self-centered, you’ve made your point.”

 _Wrong again_ , Ronny thought, before shaking her head. “Self-confidence is important and I think everyone should think they’re the shit. My problem with you is that you so clearly seek approval for your actions, instead of just doing what you want.”

“I do whatever I want, when I want.” Will scoffed.

“Then why did we go three rounds on a silly arcade game? Why do you need to prove anything to me? You don’t even know me.”

“And you know me? Listen, Ronny, that’s your name, right? I’ve seen you around. You’re a race car driver and I’m sure you’re a good one, but newsflash: nobody cares. I can’t even give you two people I know that watch or follow racing. It’s a low level professional sport at best and I’m surprised Andrew even invited you here. Drop the high and mighty act, yeah? It’s embarrassing.”

“You’re an asshole,” Ronny spat, unintentionally letting her defense down and losing their little game. Will smiled, probably having been called that before.

His satisfied expression after insulting her passion, a sport she dedicated her entire life too, had replaced any admiration or amusement she had for him with anger and annoyance.

“And you’re not as tough as you put on. A bit disappointed, but not surprised.” Will replied coolly.

Ronny cocked her head to the side, before letting out a dry laugh. “What is it you say you do again? Spy work?”

“I’m a retrieval specialist. I take back what’s stolen and return it to its rightful owner. You know, actual good Samaritan work.”

“How sweet. Jeez, you’re so irritating.”

“And you’re such an athlete. Always looking for that instant gratification for a trivial game. It’s not always about winning.”

“Convenient, considering I just beat you three times.”

“You’ll never beat me where it counts so who cares.”

By now they’re standing face to face, chests puffed out. Their words may be attempting a lighthearted disconnect, but neither of them are good about keeping their cool when pressed.

Finally, as if orchestrated, the two of them reach forward and meet halfway in a kiss. It’s aggressive but once the switch is on, the two of them can’t seem to stop. Ronny is the first to pull away, staring at him while out of breath. This was out of her element, but she felt everything pulling her to live in the moment.

“Your place or mine?”

Will rose his eyebrows, before letting out a breathy laugh. “Ladies choice.”

Ronny shook her head, feigning annoyance, before grabbing his hand and leading him out of the arcade. They drove in separate cars to her condo and continued where they left off.

There was literally no time for romance as an athlete. Between training, competing, and press events, Ronny barely had time to schedule in sleep. She had a self-imposed no dating rule, set in place after her whirlwind romance with her rival racing opponent, Angela Greenwood. They were enemies turned girlfriends turned first loves—pretty much every first was involved—all before either of them turned eighteen. Though she had no regrets, romance had distracted her.

Sleeping with her new teammate, however, wasn’t the smartest way for her to stick to her rule.

The sliver of moonlight from the opening in her window curtains was the only form of light in her bedroom while they tossed and turned, trying to make each other moan the loudest. Ronny had always viewed every aspect of her life as a competition, but had never met someone who could match her. Until now.

As they lay there afterwards, catching their breaths. Ronny turned her head, checking the clock on her nightstand. It was nearing three in the morning. She fell back against the pillows, just as Will got out of bed. She watched his silhouette as he got dressed.

“This should go without saying, but I don’t think we should tell anyone about this,” she instructed, taking control of the situation. “It could get weird.”

“Weirder than this?” Will countered, facing her once his shirt had slid over his abs. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his judgment. “You don’t have to worry about me telling anyone, Robinson.”

She tensed momentarily. “Girlfriend?”

“Is that your way of asking if I’m single? Cute.” He questioned. “I’m selfish, but I don’t cheat.” He grabbed his jacket and left the room. A couple seconds later, she heard the front door close, and was once again seeped in the familiar quiet that was her life.

 

 

There was a Britney Spears “Lucky” reference in her somewhere, though Ronny would probably smack you for thinking it. When all the applause was gone, this was the hum drum of her life. Meals prepared by a maid who came twice a day, in the morning and again at night, usually when Ronny was out. Home was mainly a place to sleep. It was hard not to get distracted when there was nothing to look forward to _but_ racing.

Before another power rangers meeting at the Hartford mansion, Ronny had a press junket. It was promotion for her upcoming race, which meant she had to look ready to race, but all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep. Juggling superhero duties with her career wasn’t as simple as she figured. The only pro was her new super speed power. Once she got back home, she could get a full hour of sleep in and just run to the mansion. It all worked out.

Still, while the lights flashed and hands raised from greedy journalists, Ronny could barely keep her eyes open. This race would be a piece of cake and everyone knew she would win. At the end of the day this was a favor for her opponent, an up and coming racer who had somehow beaten enough people to go head-to-head with racing’s golden girl, Ronny Robinson.

Her manager grabbed the mic, arguing with a journalist who presumably asked an inappropriate question. Ronny slid her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. There were usually only five numbers: her parents’ individual mobile phones, their home number, her manager, and her maid’s home number. The only numbers she needed, until Rose suggested they all exchange numbers for any late-night emergencies.

They hadn’t spoken one-on-one since that night, which wasn’t that hard because it turns out being a power ranger is harder than it looks. Andrew’s version of needing help meant travelling to other countries. That mixed with strategizing left little time to relax. Still, Ronny wasn’t good at friends and Will was the closest she had to one at the moment.

Her fingers scrolled down to his name and her fingers carefully ran through the numbers on the keypad from underneath the table.

_S.O.S. this press junket is boring_

It felt like forever waiting for his reply. She wasn’t even sure he would. More like hoping, for some reason.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced around the room, before checking her phone cautiously.

_Press junkets for racing? Sounds fake_

Ronny let out a laugh, before whispering, “asshole.” The room got quiet, which made her look up. Everyone was staring at her and it was only then that she noticed how close the microphone had been to her mouth. Whoops.

 

They were going to Atlantis with a night’s warning, to pack. After the “asshole” comment, Ronny’s manager had been watching her closely. She had won the race, naturally, but it wasn’t as easy as she had hoped. Her tiredness was creeping up on her and a trip was the last thing she needed right now.

As the team departed the mansion, hopefully getting some sleep before their trip to Atlantis, Will fell in line beside Ronny while she walked to her car.

“Heading home?” He asked casually. “Bet you wish you could just zip home now, huh?”

“It would save me money on gas,” She replied, pulling out her keys and dangling them in one hand. “Is this your way of asking me for a ride?” She flashed a smile.

Will rolled his eyes. Their dynamic was still intact, thankfully. “Listen, I don’t do relationships—”

“By choice or because no one bothers to put up with you?” She answered, finishing the sentence for him. His mention of not having a girlfriend had remained on her mind since that night, but she hadn’t wondered why that was until now. They share a sarcastic laugh as she leans against the side of her car.

“ _Because_ I’m only eighteen. I have my whole life to settle down.”

Ronny finds herself unintentionally holding her breath. While her reasoning for staying single was tied to her career, his reasoning was the root of it. They were too young. She gave him a hard time, but being eighteen _was_ for being selfish. They had their whole lives to put others first. Right now was their prime.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t think anything of the other night. It was what it was and we’re teammates so we shouldn’t be—”

Will holds his hand up, silencing her. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s not what I’m asking Robinson.”

Realization flickers across her face, but before she can respond, Dax drives past them, rolling down his window and leaning his head towards them. “Night!” He yells, before pulling out the driveway.

Ronny turned back to Will, her amused expression long gone. “Okay, if we’re gonna do this, we need to set some ground rules. One, which we already established, our team can’t know. Two, we continue doing it at my place. Three, no sleeping over. Four—”

“Four, this doesn’t mean anything. It’s purely an…activity.”

“An activity,” she deadpanned.

“A release, if you will, from all the work we have to do now.”

So, it was decided, in front of the Hartford Mansion. They would continue the other night, but it meant nothing. They were nothing to each other besides team mates. Coworkers. Not friends.

 

 

 Rules intact, their second time took both of them by surprise. As Will hovered over her, she tried not to stare into his eyes, but couldn’t help it. Their bodies had become familiar with each other and they were developing a rhythm. This was the last thing she wanted, but, with Will, they were equals. Both thrown out of their own worlds into the world of power rangers, fish out of water.

“Have you told anyone about, you know?” Ronny asks afterwards, pulling her shirt over her head. Her voice comes out softer than intended, but she pleads him not to notice. “Being a power ranger,” she continues.

Will looks over from the opposite side of the bed, before looking away as he grabs his jeans and begins to slide them on. “Honestly, even if we were ‘allowed’ to, I wouldn’t even know what to say. I’m missing out on assignments, also known as the money I need to pay bills and the apartment that I’d like to keep not having to share. My clients are getting suspicious.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I had to pull out of a meet because it’s the same week that we’re going to Atlantis and my manager’s pissed. I got my first piece of hatemail the other day from a former fan. But what can I say? ‘I can’t focus on racing at the moment, but don’t worry I’m a power ranger’.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a weight lifted from her shoulders. Being able to have a candid conversation and not just strategize at the mansion or smile and nod during business meetings had been nagging at her and she didn’t even know.

And by the way Will’s eyes lit up, it had been bugging him too. “Exactly! Andrew should’ve given us a script. Does he expect us to drop everything? I’m eighteen, I can’t afford to start taking risks just yet.”

Ronny felt a swell of emotion overcome her, which took her a bit by surprise. She had never felt truly understood and it was causing her to see Will differently. Something was on the edge of her tongue, but she forced it down. _Thank you_ , she wanted to scream. But instead, she cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from him.

“It’s getting late, you should go,” she murmured, hating that she couldn’t even look him in the eye at the moment. It was his rule though. This didn’t mean anything, it was just an activity. Conversation is what leads to understanding and connecting and a whole bridge of things Ronny couldn’t add to her plate at the moment.

She stood up from the bed and grabbed her pants, slipping them on. Behind her, she heard Will mumble a “yeah” before getting up from the bed and walking past her out the room, shoes in hand. Her heart sank.

 

 

Things were weird, for no fault but her own. They were cordial as always, but Atlantis felt like a month instead of two days. When they finally returned to the Hartford mansion, everyone was exhausted.

“I know this is rude of me to bring up right now, while we’re all sitting here exhausted, but I’m so happy I live here and I don’t have to drive anywhere,” Mack admits, letting out a relieved sigh afterwards. He’s met with glares around the room, which make him slowly back out of the room.

Dax hauls his bag over his shoulder. “I’m heading out early. Gotta beat traffic. See you guys.” Will stands up as well, gives a quick wave, and the two of them walk towards the front door.

Before Ronny can finish collecting her bags, Rose is in her face, grinning.

“So, what’s going on with you and Will?”

“What are you talking about?” Ronny asks, thankful for the poker face she mastered from racing.

Rose shook her head, as if to say she wasn’t buying it. “I’ve just noticed how close you guys have gotten, but if there’s nothing going on then…”

“There isn’t anything going on, but thanks,” Ronny spat, hating how defensive she sounded. Rose was too smart for her own good. It was better to just avoid confrontation altogether, which was hard for someone like her. She slipped her bag over her shoulder and raced out of the room.

Later that night, while she was under the covers wide awake, she texted Will.

_Rose is onto us_

Will responded within minutes, which made her picture him lying in bed alone just like her.

_There’s an us?_

_Goodnight Will._

_Night Robinson._

 

 

Despite the constant teasing, Ronny never actually expected Will to be selfish enough to resign.

“You’re leaving?!” She yelled, following him outside of headquarters and into the heart of the mansion. “Tell me this is some kind of joke.”

“I’m not joking, Robinson, I’m out,” Will replied, annoyance in his voice. He stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at her. “Why do you care anyway? Your ego is big enough to be its own team member.”

“My ego? Fine, you’re right, we don’t need you.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Go.”

“Gladly,” he replied, before storming out. As soon as the door slammed, her heart sank for a second time.

If she was annoyed at herself for how much she missed him while she was gone, she tops it with how happy she is that he wasn’t actually gone and was just doing undercover work. It’s more than relief and it scares her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispers, once they finish another round. The lights are off as usual, protecting them as they continue their routine of honesty in the dark.

Will stares up at the ceiling, so quiet that she almost questions if he even heard her. Before she can speak, he answers. “I was following orders.”

She turns on her side, elbow propping up her head as she stared at him. “But why didn’t you tell _me_?” She expects a sarcastic reply, but instead he sighs and sits up.

“I don’t get you,” He starts, “you set these rules. No sleeping over, no telling anyone, but you don’t mean it. What happened to this being a game?”

“It is a game! But I thought—”

“You thought what? We’re young! We’re free! That was the whole point!”

“I thought we were friends!” She yells. At this point they’re both standing on opposite sides of the bed. It parallels their first night together, except this time so much has happened. “I thought I could do this, but I guess what I really wanted was to be close to someone again. All I do is race and when I’m not racing I’m going on these wild goose chases to find artifacts for some rich guy I didn’t even know a month ago! But you…” she trails off, trying to figure out how to measure her words. “You get me.”

Will shook his head instantly. “I think we should stop.”

It was inevitable, but still hurts to hear. Ronny looks down at the ground and doesn’t make a sound until he’s on his way. Only until the door closes does she realize that she had been holding her breath.

 

 

From there on out things are professional, they only interact when necessary. It’s how things should’ve been from the start. Ronny has more time to sleep, which makes her more alert, more focused, during racing meets. She knew better than to break her rule.

Will resigns, for real this time, after losing the Blue Sapphire. He’s never off his game and Ronny can’t help but wonder if it has anything to do with them. Not that there ever was a them.  But there she is with that damn heart flutter the second he rejoins the team.

 _Get yourself together Ronny_ , she scolds herself. This isn’t her, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit how much being a power ranger had changed her. Things that once meant everything to her, like winning or being right, felt trivial. Was she getting soft? Was she maturing? She couldn’t tell.

Losing their powers and having former rangers step in couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Someone suggests a picnic, as if they don’t spend enough time together already, and Ronny catches herself perking up when Will agrees to go.

They fall in line together on the walk, neither speaking. It’s the first real time they had been alone since that night. There’s so much Ronny wants to say, but what she chooses is unexpected.

“I’m sorry.”

Not once in her life had she ever apologized to someone, but here she was, apologizing to a guy who broke her heart, in so many words. He’s quiet for awhile, which causes her to continue. “You were right, it was supposed to be an activity. I messed it up.”

He gives her a nod. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

 

He saved her life. Literally. As if out of a fairy tale that her schoolmates had read, Will was her knight in shining armor.

Ronny had been captured by the Fearcats. They had drained her energy and she had been convinced that was it. Her entire legacy would disappear at eighteen years old. Ronny Robinson, one of the most promising racers of the decade. Ronny Robinson, power ranger.

But her story didn’t end. Will Aston saved her life, against all odds.

She speeds to his apartment, knocking on the door. When he answers, she kisses him. Everything they had been doing, from the start, had put her outside of her comfort zone. And yet, she couldn’t stop.

Just as she’s about to pull away, he kisses her back. His hands cup her face. She smiles. When they part, his smirk is gone. He was staring at her so gently. It’s a look that had been missing amongst their banter.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers. “I’ve always worked best alone, but being with the power rangers taught me that sometimes you need a team. And then when you were captured, I realized… the person I work best with is you. We make a good team Robinson.”

She grins, giving him a playful shove. “Will Aston, do you like me?”

“Is that a crime?”

“Not at all, but, as usual, you’re late. I liked you first,” she teases.

“Always have to be first, don’t you?”  

Her smile falters, only for a second. “Only where it counts.”

That night they lay in his bed, fully clothed, talking about anything and everything, no longer needing the dark to shield them. It’s then that Ronny realizes she’s not getting soft or maturing.

She was falling for him. Willingly so.


End file.
